A 12-yr-old boy and an 18-yr-old man have been formally charged with riotous behaviour following a racially-motivated attack on a family’s home in south Belfast, reports The Mirror.
Police are now seeking any information related to the incident, which happened in the early hours of Thursday.
According to the PSNI, officers received a report of a disturbance at around 12.40am in the Donegall Avenue area, reports The Mirror.
A group of youths launched an attack on a property, during which residents inside were injured.
Two individuals, aged 12 and 18, were arrested on suspicion of riotous behaviour, reports The Mirror.
Both have now been charged. The 12-year-old is expected to appear before Belfast Youth Court on September 22.
The 18-year-old man is scheduled to appear at Belfast Magistrates’ Court on September 25, reports The Mirror.
South Belfast District Commander Superintendent Finola Dornan said: “This incident was exceptionally serious involving the targeting of a family in their own home, motivated by racial hatred. Our officers acted quickly and effectively, making two arrests, however the ages of those involved are of particular concern,” reports The Mirror.
She added: “Racist intimidation and targeting is completely unacceptable. I would like to reassure the entire local community that we will continue to be visible so as to prevent and detect offending of this nature, holding those responsible to account through the courts. We will carry out a full and thorough investigation to identify all those responsible. This behaviour does not reflect the people of the local area. No family should have to go through this and the harm is felt by everyone in the community,” reports The Mirror.
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